| Esimit Europa 2 first
to round Giraglia Rock. |
| By the Giraglia Rolex
Cup Media Team. |
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Photos by
Kurt Arrigo
for Rolex.
Page edited By Peter Andrews. |
| June 16, 2010. |
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| The 220 Giraglia Rolex Cup race participants left for San Remo today at 12:00 CEST, with a south-easterly wind of 8 to 10 knots. Jethou, the 18 metre Mini Maxi of Peter Ogden was the first boat to round the offset-mark off Port Grimaud, as the fleet set out on the 241-mile Giraglia Race; in the direction of the Island La Fourmique, before heading to the Giraglia Rock off the tip of Corsica. |
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Igor Simcic's Esimit Europa 2, during the Giraglia Rolex Cup
2010.
Photo © Rolex /
Kurt Arrigo.
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| The wind had increased during the afternoon and the group of leading boats accelarated with 20 knots toward the rock. Igor Simcic’s Esimit Europa 2, the former Alfa Romeo was in the lead, followed by Shockwave, Container and Alegre. |
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Neville Crichton's Mini Maxi Shockwave, during the Giraglia Rolex Cup
2010.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| Stuart Bannatyne, calling tactics on Shockwave, was quite excited about the forecast. "It’s actually very encouraging, calling for 20 knots for a lot of the race so it’s almost too good to be true. So let’s see how it turns out but at the moment it looks like we are going to have to beat up to the first mark and then, a very fast sort of spinnaker ride across the Giraglia rock and then a downwind to the finish in San Remo. It sounds very easy and very simple but it turns out that way, that we just have to see." |
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Udo Schuetz's JV66 Container, during the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2010.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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But by 21:00 CEST the dream had turned into the reality of a parking lot. Esimit Europa 2, still doing 8 knots, was able to escape her adversary’s and round the rock at 22:25 CEST.
The weather forecast predicts a south-easterly breeze of around 10 knots of intensity for the forthcoming 100 nautical miles to San Remo. To beat the record, the first boat has to cross the finish line by 06:03 CEST on Thursday morning, the 17th of June. |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre, during the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2010.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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The prize giving for 2010 Giraglia Rolex Cup will be held at 13:00 CEST on Saturday, 19th of June at the Yacht Club San Remo.
Further information on the Giraglia Rolex Cup may be found at www.giragliarolexcup.com. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2010 |
